For many badminton players, their Instagram account is a place to show how they are doing with their training as well as on court when being at tournaments. But when browsing through the feed, there is something that stands out from all the flooding of badminton action snapshots. 

Photographs that capture a grandness and calmness of captivating scenery, imposing architectural wonders that stand the passing of time, and captions of insightful historical information to go with them. That is what Evgeniya Kosetskaya brings to our badminton-filled social media.

As it is quite obvious that most players use social media to portray their lives in the badminton world, be it training and even giving some advices and tricks. So, it is inevitable to wonder why Kosetskaya’s profile consists mostly of a really different kind of content.

-For me, Instagram is a place where I come to relax. It is not just a social network, but something more. My whole life is badminton, and Instagram is my story off the court.

It is certainly a hobby, and all players need one to let take their minds off the sport. Kosetskaya is currently the number three in Europe and to relax from working hard to stay on top, she takes time to snap some photographs of what inspires her while also writing descriptive captions, and she has been doing so for some years now.

-A very long time ago, probably in 2014-2015. I didn’t take any photography courses and all I learned and still learn is only through my curiosity and sometimes also through Wikipedia, the Russian stated.

Most of Kosetskaya’s recent photos are of natural scenery that transmit a sense of tranquility, so it is no difficult to understand why she has picked this pastime. It also tells us about the player and what she longs for. The 26-year-old player admits that the city life can be consuming for her.

-I love the nature very much, and I don’t really like big cities. It would probably be ideal for me to live in my own house away from the huge crowds and tall buildings. The stone jungle is not for me. 

-The modern world is very restless, fast, everything changes every second. But when you are alone with nature, you are not in a hurry, you are only busy with yourself and your thoughts, dreams, and aspirations. Time seems to freeze, it's as important to me as breathing, being able to be alone with yourself, the former European silver medalists said.

Of all the things in nature, the vast sea is one of her main sources of inspiration and a favourite to photograph.

-The sea is beautiful. It’s always different, with different shades and different moods. Near the sea, it is always calm and there is time just to exist. 

Historic buildings and their past are another story that Kosetskaya likes to share with her followers. Oftentimes she complements her photography posts with a text giving information about the history and importance of the place. It is a great way to travel from home, looking at her posts and getting to know about the places she visits.

-I really like elegant buildings with interesting stories. Places that can share something. I believe that everyone at some point understands that history is very important, especially the history of their own country. This is always interesting, especially if you have a good imagination and you can colourfully imagine events that took place long before us.

So, all the dedication to photography raises a question, would she like to work with something related to social media and the visual arts? The Russian player has other plans in mind. It seems like there are other areas she would like to delve into, and she does not want to step off court in the future.

-I don’t know, I really wanted to become a teacher of literature or Russian. I like to talk a lot and I like to read, so I think this job could be more suitable for me. I could also become a coach, because I have a lot of experience that I can pass on to young and purposeful players. But I believe that photography will always occupy a huge place in my life.